Casket closure device



J1me 1963 H. w. BAKER, JR

CASKET CLOSURE DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 17, 1961 FIG.

FIG. IO.

INVENTOR. HAROLD W. BAKER, Jr. gflqh ATTORNEYS June 18, 1963 H. w.BAKER, JR

CASKET CLOSURE DEVICE INVENTOR. HAROLD W. BAKER, Jr. BYKMMM Filed Feb.17, 1961 ATTORNEYS June 18, 1963 H. w. BAKER, JR 3,094,346 CASKETCLOSURE DEVICE Filed Feb. 17, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 l4 FIG. 7

m r A m 7 I2 I FIG.9.

' INVENTOR.

HAROLD W. BAKER, Jr.

E m ham H1 ATTORNEYS nited States Patent 3,094,346 CASKET CLOSURE DEVICEHarold W. Baker, Jr., Bryn Mawr, Pa., assignor to Connersville CasketCompany, Inc., Connersville, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Filed Feb.17, 1961, Ser. No. 89,952 6 Claims. (Cl. 292) This invention relates toa casket closure device and more particularly relates to a casketclosure device adapted to be used to close a hinged casket lid from asingle point exterior of the casket.

'Ihe casket closure device in accordance with this invention is reliablein operation and provides a large force for the securing of the casketlid while requiring only a small force for its operation.

The closure device of this invention is further highly advantageous inthat as contrasted to heretofore known closure devices operated from asingle point it is simple and economical to manufacture.

These and other objects of this invention will become apparent onreading the description in conjunction with the following drawings inwhich:

FIGURE 1 is a front perspective view of a casket embodying theinvention;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical section through the lid and body of the casket ofFIGURE 1 looking towards one of the pull down levers of a closure devicein accordance with this invention;

FIGURE 3 is a front perspective view showing a portion of the closuredevice of this invention;

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of a portion of the closure device of thisinvention;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged plan view partially broken away of the structurefor operating the closure device of this invention;

FIGURE 6 is a plan view of a sealing cap for use with the closure devicein accordance with this invention;

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged view showing a pull down lever of the device ofthis invention in the fully unlatched position;

FIGURE 8 is a view of the structure of FIGURE 7 showing the pull downlever advanced to a position to engage a lid pull down member;

FIGURE 9 is a view of the structure of FIGURE 7 showing the pull downlever advanced to the fully latched position; and

FIGURE 10 is a side elevation of a modified pull down lever.

Referring to FIGURE 1, a casket 2 has a body portion 4 and a lid 6. Therear of lid 6 is pivoted on body 4 by hinges 8. A plurality of hooks 10project downwardly from the front of the lid 6. Body 4 is provided withopenings 12 for the passage of hooks .10 into the inter-ior of body 4.The open end of each hook 10 faces to the left as viewed in FIGURE 1.

As best shown in FIGURE 2, the body 4 has a recess 14 extending aboutits entire periphery and containing sealing gasket 16, which is adaptedto engage a recess 18 extending about the entire periphery of the lid.Each hook 10 is surrounded by a ring gasket 20, which acts to seal thecorresponding opening 12.

Referring now to FIGURES 2 through 5, a fixed bar 24 having a flange 26is secured to flange 28 of body 4 by riveting as indicated at 30. Alongitudinal operating bar 31 adjacent fixed bar 24 carries headed pins32 which are secured to bar 31 by means of reduced threaded portions 34which are threaded into threaded openings 36 in bar 31 (FIGURE 4).

As best seen in FIGURE 7, each pin 32 passes through a longitudinal slot40 in bar 24 and engages a cam track A4 42 in pull down lever 44. Camtrack 42 always lies at a relatively large angle with respect to thehorizontal. an angle to the horizontal andextends upwardly away from pin32 in the unlatched position shown in FIGURE 7. Pull down lever 44 isprovided with an. angled tip portion 46 for the engagement of hook 10.

A horizontal pin 50 and a horizontal pin 52 are secured to bar 24positioned adjacent each lever 44 to co operate with an open ended slot54 and a slot 56 respectively in the adjacent lever 44.

Referring now to FIGURES 3 through 5, a nut 60 has a reduced portion 19passing through a slot 63 in bar 24 and is bolted to longitudinaloperating bar 31 as indicated at 62. A threaded bolt 64 engages nut 60and has a threaded hollow head 66 into which a bolt 68 is threaded,relative movement between head 66 and bolt 68 being prevented by meansof a pin 70. Bolt 68 has a hollow head 72 in the form of a hexagon whichis adapted to-be engaged by an operating crank indicated in phantom at74. Head 72 bears against a flange 76 on bushing 78 which is threadablysecured to a bracket 80 welded to casket body 4. Head 72 also bearsagainst packing shown at 82. A threaded cap 84 having a gasket 86 isadapted to be screwed into threads 88 in bushing 73 for the purpose ofsealing the casket when the closure mechanism has been operated tosecure the lid.

Operation After lid 6 has been manually closed with the pull down leversin the position shown in FIGURE 7, operating crank 74 is operated tocause nut 60 to advance to the right as viewed in FIGURES 4 and 5, whichin turn causes longitudinal operating bar 31 to move in the samedirection carrying pins 32 to the right as viewed in FIG- URES 4 and 5and in FIGURES 7 through 9.

Referring now particularly to FIGURES 7 through 9, as each pin 32 movesto the right, it is carried against the lower side of cam track 42 ofits associated pull down lever 44. Since slot 54 is still engaged withpin 50 and slot 56 is engaged with pin 52, the only direction in whichpull down lever 44 can be moved through the operation of pin-32 issubstantially horizontally to the right which is the desired motion inorder to place tip portion 46 in position to engage hook 10 when thepull down lever is urged downwardly. The thus described horizontalmovement has been completed in the showing of FIGURE 8 and slot 54 hasbeen carried clear of pin 50. At this juncture pin 32 operating in camtrack 42 acts to pivot pull down lever 44 clockwise :as viewed in FIGURE9 about pin 52, which, due to its engagement with the lefthand end ofslot 56 as viewed in FIGURE 9, prevents the further movement of pulldown lever 44 to the right in a horizontal direction. As shown in FIGURE9, pin 32 has been moved to the right-hand end of cam track 42 and hasmoved tip portion 46 downwardly which in turn has resulted in themovement of hook 10 andlid 6 downwardly to the latched position.

In order to open the casket lid, the operation is simply reversed withcrank 74 being operated to move nut 60, longitudinal operating bar 31and pins 32 to the left as viewed in FIGURES 4 and 5 which causes eachpin 32 to move counterclockwise as viewed in FIGURES 7 through 9 itsassociated pull down lever 44 until the pin 32 reaches the end of camtrack 42 at which juncture it will urge its associated lever 44 to theleft as viewed in FIGURES 7 through 9 to reengage slot 54 and pin 50 tothe position shown in FIGURE 7.

Where, due to space or other requirements, it is desired to employ apull down lever cam track having a relatively small angle to thehorizontal, the alternative pull down lever 44' of FIGURE 10 can beemployed with advantage. Lever 44' has a cam track 42' making arelatively small angle with the horizontal throughout its major portionbut diifering from cam track 42 in having downwardly turned terminal endportion 92 which effectively provides a portion of the cam track whichmakes Lever 44' is provided with an angled tip portion 46 for theengaging of a hook 10, slot 56 for engaging a pin 52 and an open endedslot 54' for engagement of a pin 50.

When lever 44 is substituted for lever 44, the movement of pin 32 to theright causes it to engage with the downwardly turned portion 92 of camtrack 42' and, due to the greater angle of portion '92, exerts a greatervector of force in the horizontal direction than would occur if the downturned portion 92 were omitted. When the lever '44 has been urgedhorizontally sufficiently for slot 54 to clear pin 50, pin 32 advancesin cam track 42 to urge lever 44' to rotate clockwise about pin 52 asviewed in FIGURE 10. In all other respects the operation of lever 44 isthe same as operation of lever 44.

It is not desired to be limited except as set forth in the followingclaims.

What is claimed is:

l. A closure device for a casket having a body and a lid hinged to thebody comprising a pull down member adapted to depend from the casketlid, a pull down lever adapted to cooperate with the pull down member,means for mounting said lever in said body for pivotal movement and forlongitudinal movement towards and away from the pull down member, meansfor restricting the pivotal movement of the lever during longitudnialmovement towards the pull down member, a cam track on said lever, mean-smovable longitudinally engaging said cam track to move the leverlongitudinally towards the pull down member and free of the meansrestricting its pivotal movement and into a position in which a portionof the pull down lever overlies a portion of the pull down member andthen pivotally downwardly to pull the pull down member downwardly.

2. A closure device for a casket having a body and a lid hinged to thebody comprising a pull down member having a hook portion adapted todepend from the casket lid, a pull down lever having an angled endportion adapted to cooperate with the hook portion of the pull downmember, means for mounting said lever in said body for pivotal movementand for longitudinal movement towards and away from the pull downmember, means for res=tricting the pivotal movement of the lever duringlongitudinal movement towards the pull down member, a cam track on saidlever, means movable longitudinally engaging said cam track to move thelever longitudinally towards the pull down member and free of the meansrestricting its pivotal movement and into a position in which the angledend portion of the pull down lever overlies the hook portion of the pulldown member and then pivotally down- 1 wardly to pull the pull downmember downwardly.

3. A closure device for a casket having a body and a lid hinged to thebody comprising a plurality of pull down members depending from thecasket lid, pull down levers mounted in the casket body each movable ina substantially vertical plane and adapted to cooperate with a pull downmember, a longitudinal operating bar, a cam track on each lever, aplurality of pins secured to said longitudinal operating bar eachengaging a cam track, each cam track extending upwardly away from itsassociated pin when the lever is in its unlatched position, a pair ofspaced pins secured to the body adjacent each lever, each lever havingan open ended slot at one end thereof adapted to engage one of said pairof spaced pins and a second slot adapted to engage the other of saidpair of spaced pins, means to move the operating bar to cause the pinsengaging the cam tracks to move the levers in a longitudinal directioninto a position in which a portion of each pull down lever overlies aportion of its associated pull down member, to free each open ended slotfrom its associated pin and then to cam the levers downwardly to engageand pull down the associated pull down members.

4. A closure device for a casket having a body and a lid hinged to thebody comprising a plurality of pull down members depending from thecasket lid, pull down levers mounted in the casket body each movable ina substantially vertical plane and adapted to cooperate with a pull downmember, a longitudinal operating bar, a cam track on each lever, aplurality of pins secured to said longitudinal operating bar eachengaging a cam track, each cam track extending upwardly away from itsassociated pin when the lever is in its unlatched position, a pair ofspaced pins secured to the body adjacent each lever, each lever havingan open ended slot at one end thereof adapted to engage one of said pairof spaced pins and a second slot adapted to engage the other of saidpair of spaced pins, screw means to move the operating bar to cause thepins engaging the cam tracks to move the levers in a longitudinaldirection into a position in which a portion of each pull down leveroverlies a portion of its associated pull down member, to free each openended slot from its associated pin and then to cam the levers downwardlyto engage and pull down the associated pull down members.

5. A closure device for a casket having a body and a lid hinged to thebody comprising a plurality of pull down members depending 'from thecasket lid, pull down levers mounted in the casket body each movable ina substantially vertical plane and adapted to cooperate with a pull downmember, a longitudinal operating bar, a cam track on each lever, aplurality of pins secured to said longitudinal operating bar eachengaging a cam track, each cam track extending upwardly away from itsassociated pin when the lever is in its unlatched position, a pair ofspaced pins secured to the body adjacent each lever, each lever havingan open ended substantially horizontal slot at one end thereof adaptedto engage one of said pair of spaced pins and'a second substantiallyhorizontal slot adapted to engage the other of said pair of spaced pins,means to move the operating bar to cause the pins engaging the camtracks to move the levers in a longitudinal direction into a position inwhich a portion of each pull down lever overlies a portion of itsassociated pull down member, to free eac-h open ended slot from itsassociated pin and then to cam the levers downwardly to engage and pulldown the associated pull down members.

6. A closure device for a casket having a body and a lid hinged to thebody comprising a plurality of pull down members depending from thecasket lid, pull down levers mounted in the casket body each movable ina substantially vertical plane and adapted to cooperate with a pull downmember, a longitudinal operating bar, a cam track on each lever, aplurality of pins secured to said longitudinal operating bar eachengaging a cam track, each cam track extending upwardly away from itsassociated pin when the lever is in its unlatched position, a pair ofspaced pins secured to the body adjacent each lever, each lever havingan open ended substantially horizontal slot at one end thereof adaptedto engage one of said pair of spaced pins and a second substantiallyhorizontal slot adapted to engage the other of said pair of spaced pins,screw means to move the operating bar to cause the pins engaging the camtracks to move the levers in a longitudinal direction into a position inwhich a portion of each pull down lever overlies a portion of itsassociated pull down member, to free each open ended slot from itsassociated pin and then to cam the levers downwardly to engage and pulldown the associated pull down members.

References Cited in the file of this patent

1. A CLOSURE DEVICE FOR A CASKET HAVING A BODY AND A LID HINGED TO THEBODY COMPRISING A PULL DOWN MEMBER ADAPTED TO DEPEND FROM THE CASKETLID, A PULL DOWN LEVER ADAPTED TO COOPERATE WITH THE PULL DOWN MEMBER,MEANS FOR MOUNTING SAID LEVER IN SAID BODY FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT AND FORLONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT TOWARDS AND AWAY FROM THE PULL DOWN MEMBER, MEANSFOR RESTRICTING THE PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF THE LEVER DURING LONGITUDINALMOVEMENT TOWARDS THE PULL DOWN MEMBER, A CAM TRACK ON SAID LEVER, MEANSMOVABLE LONGITUDINALLY ENGAGING SAID CAM TRACK TO MOVE THE LEVERLONGITUDINALLY TOWARDS THE PULL DOWN MEMBER AND FREE OF THE MEANSRESTRICTING ITS PIVOTAL MOVEMENT AND INTO A POSITION IN WHICH A PORTIONOF THE PULL DOWN LEVER OVERLIES A PORTION OF THE PULL DOWN MEMBER ANDTHEN PIVOTALLY DOWNWARDLY TO PULL THE PULL DOWN MEMBER DOWNWARDLY.